1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a plurality of peripheral devices with one remote control, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method which integrates and automates an AV system so as to control a plurality of peripheral devices with one remote control in the AV system including a wireless bridge connected to the peripheral devices through communication cables in a network and a host device which receives a remote control input of a user, transmits a control signal to the wireless bridge wirelessly, receives a video and audio from the wireless bridge wirelessly, and displays the received video and audio to the user.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to set a series of operations such as a digital video disc (hereinafter, referred to as a DVD) view, a satellite broadcasting view, a video cassette recorder (VCR) view, etc., two conventional methods as follows have been employed. One of the two methods is shown in FIG. 1, in which a user controls corresponding devices by using corresponding remote controls for a television (hereinafter, referred to as a TV) 50 and audio/video (hereinafter, referred to as an AV) devices 10, 20, and 30. The other of the two methods is shown in FIG. 2, in which a user can use an integrated remote control in switching the input mode of the TV 50 from a TV input mode to a corresponding mode of input from one of the AV devices 10, 20 and 30, displaying a settings menu corresponding to the corresponding AV device, and setting conditions for a series of operations of each AV device.
In an AV system having the construction as shown in FIG. 1, when a user wants to see a DVD, a user properly sets an external input by using a TV remote control and then controls the playback of the DVD by using a DVD player remote control. Further, in an AV system having the construction as shown in FIG. 2, one integrated remote control is used. The integrated remote control is simply one remote control and is an integration of multiple remote controls into one remote device. Further, in order to control a specific appliance, a user switches the current mode into a specific appliance mode and then sends a command for the specific appliance by using the integrated remote control.
The conventional methods have the following problems. First, it is inconvenient for a user to individually set the operation of each AV device by using a corresponding remote control in order to set a series of operations. Further, even in the case as shown in FIG. 2, there is the advantage in that a user controls multiple AV devices with one integrated remote control, but the user is still inconvenienced by having to individually set the operation of each AV device in order to set a series of operations.
Secondly, it is inconvenient for a user to individually perform the work of setting devices by means of a corresponding remote control (by switching to a corresponding mode of an integrated remote control) whenever the user changes a setting for another operation.
Thirdly, since a basic knowledge about each device is necessary in setting each AV device, there is no guarantee that a setting is correctly performed when an automatic setting is performed by means of a macro function because the AV device may be incorrectly connected to a TV. That is, since a control signal is unilaterally transmitted from the TV to corresponding AV devices, a designated operation is dynamically performed according to connection states of the AV devices.
Fourthly, since the TV and the AV devices are connected to each other through wired AV cables, it is difficult to dispose the TV at random locations or locations far from the AV devices. That is, there is a limitation in that the TV must be installed at locations where the AV cables can reach.